This is a simple story about a man and a ballbuster. What makes it interesting is that the man has a nasty habit of never dating women who are ballbusters. That man is none other than George Clooney. Clooney picked up his new girlfriend, Elisabetta Canalis, in Italy over the summer. At first I had odds that they wouldn’t make it past the summer, but it looks like Elisabetta is settling in to become a permanent fixture. “Permanent” meaning “at least a year”. In Touch Weekly has an interesting story this week about how Clooney “met his match” in Elisabetta, and that she’s not going to be dazzled by his crap, like all of the waitresses, hostesses, escorts, wannabe actresses and showgirls who came before her.

George Clooney recently showed Elisabetta around LA, but when he picked out the restaurants, a friend reveals that Elisabetta often picked up the tab.

“Elisabetta doesn’t need George’s money,” the friend says. “She does quite well by herself, and she’s not the type of women to allow a man to pay for everything, so she insists on going Dutch. She’s his match.”

George reportedly appreciates the gesture. “He knows it’s hard dating a movie star, especially because you need to dress the part… when he was dating Sarah Larson, he basically bought her a new wardrobe, but with Elisabetta, he doesn’t need to do that.”

She’s also more famour than George in her native Italy. “Elisabetta has more clout there, so when they need a reservation, she’ll use her name instead of his… she’s the one in control.”

Elisabetta seems to be calling the shots in LA, by refusing to move in with George. “She broke the news to George that she wants her own home… he offered to pay her rent, and she laughed.”

George is impressed by her take-charge attitude. “He loves that she’s her own woman… George doesn’t need to show her the ropes - she’s actually shown him a few!”

“He doesn’t want to lose Elisabetta. She hasn’t even brought up marriage, but if she did, George might cave.”

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition, December 21, 2009]

Several things: first, that “show her the ropes” comment is hysterical, especially given the old gossip about Clooney liking it rough and chokey. Second, if George really loved a woman who was her own woman, he shouldn’t have been seeking out the neverending line of big-breasted brunettes who were at his beck and call. Third, Elisabetta is a smart cookie, but I wonder if she’s playing a little too hard to get, if all of this true. I mean, she wants her own place? Great. But what happens when Clooney dumps her? I shouldn’t worry, though. I’m sure she’s already formulating her strategy for when he moves on.

Elisabetta Canalis with friends, and holding a friend’s baby, in LA on December 2, 2009. Also, George and Elisabetta at the ‘Up In the Air’ premiere on November 30, 2009. Credit: WENN